ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md.-The APG community viewed “spooktacular” displays during a Halloween-themed adventure walk in the “haunted” ballroom of the APG North Recreation Center Oct. 29.
The family-friendly event featured costumed characters, spooky music, plenty of photo opportunities and candy for children. Attendees were encouraged to wear costumes.
APG Morale, Welfare and Recreation hosted the free event. It was initially called “Halloween on the Green” and was going to be held at the Ruggles Golf Course but was moved inside due to inclement weather. Despite strong wind and rain, 275 people attended.
Event coordinator Tonya Froisland, administrative assistant to the MWR director, said to create the perfect spooky atmosphere, attendees were given glow sticks to help them see in the dark ballroom.
The event featured a mixture of scary and fun displays. Some displays were based on movies or television programs like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “It,” “Ghostbusters,” and “The Nightmare before Christmas.” Other displays featured ghosts, witches, skeletons or jack-o-lanterns.
According to Froisland, the event was expanded from the MWR Halloween Drive-Thru last year, she said.
“We had a whole year to think about new ideas,” she said. “A lot of the displays were handmade.”
Froisland thanked everyone who made the event possible. She said the Aberdeen Proving Grounds Federal Credit Union sponsored, which allowed MWR to host the event for free of charge.
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“The team worked hard and we had a lot of volunteers both within BOSS [Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers] and in the community,” she said.
Michael Hightower, of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, attended with her daughter Amirah Hightower, 9. He encouraged her to check out the “big bad wolf” at the end of the attraction, played by Michael Artus-Cooper, head chef of Top of the Bay.
“The event was pretty good, more than expected; she got a scare out of it,” Michael said.
Family members Denika Turner and Amyah Turner, 3, said they were happy the event was held despite the rain.
“This was incredible,” Denika Turner, who attended the event as Jack Skellington from the 1993 film “The Nightmare before Christmas,” said.
“It is special to the children and the parents that they took the time to put this event together. I appreciate the creativity.”
BOSS Volunteer Spc. Cecilya Roberts, with 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command, said she has dressed up as Elsa from the Disney movie “Frozen” for MWR events for the past couple of days.
“I love doing this for the kids,” she said. “Some get really excited and I’m glad to be featured in a happy display, one that is not scary.”
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